A Hertfordshire farm has launched a multi-million pound fundraiser to build an education hub - dubbed the 'UK's best outdoor classroom' - for schoolchildren.
Woodoaks Farm, in Maple Cross, appeared on BBC Countryfile on Sunday (1 December) showing how it has involved nature and the community in food production.
Presenters met farmers, as well as pupils from Maple Cross Primary School, who got their hands dirty with regular volunteer activities that take place at the 'outdoor classroom'.
The farm was donated to the Soil Association Land Trust in 2020 by previous landowner, Sally Findlay, and has just finished converting to organic.
It has since planted 2,000 metres of hedgerows across the farm, and the tenant farmer is set to grow organic crops or pasture around rows of trees.
The new education hub they are fundraising for will help the farm to share these new approaches by hosting both local and national events as well as talks and learning activities.
Initial support of £200,000 has been received from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, with the full grant application of £1.6m being submitted in early 2025.
The Black Barn Project campaign is aiming to raise a further £800,000 to complete the fundraising target – and has so far secured around £500,000 from trusts, businesses and individuals.
Farm manager Rose Lewis said Woodoaks had shifted to practices that allowed it to 'farm in harmony with nature'.
"We are now producing more food directly for the local community, who we have brought back onto the farm as customers, pupils and volunteers."
The farm already hosts schools and local businesses and runs learning events on a small-scale, but is raising money to go further with the multi-million-pound education and community hub.
The Black Barn Project will renovate and repurpose old farm buildings for education and events, with the historic 16th century, Grade II listed Black Barn at its centre.
The project aims to establish the UK’s best outdoor classroom and to develop an educational programme for local schoolchildren.
It will also host talks, film screenings, and learning events, all aimed at educating people to make more informed choices about the food they eat.
Ms Lewis added: "Our vision is to reconnect people from all walks of life with where their food comes from, while also showing them the habitats we are building and the vital role that wildlife plays.
“We are already an outdoor classroom, but we are really excited to be fundraising to transform our historic farm buildings into a centre that will allow us to get even more citizens onto the farm.”
